Free Like a Bee to Honey by Jennifer Beckstrand Page B

What if Josiah tried to fix the boys something to eat and Arie woke up? Suvie only had so many pans to spare. Rose would just have to be brave for Alvin and Aaron’s sake. And Josiah’s sake too.
    She went downstairs, where Josiah had one boy thrown over each of his shoulders and was spinning them around the room. She glanced out the window again. “Who wants pancakes?”
    Josiah stopped spinning and set the boys on their feet.
    â€œI do,” squealed Alvin.
    â€œI too,” echoed Aaron.
    Josiah placed his hands on his hips and studied her face. “Are you sure? You’ve already saved me. If you’re more comfortable leaving, I understand.”
    Rose managed to smile past her anxiety. “We don’t want the boys to start eating the furniture.”
    He stared at her for a few moments before nodding. “Can I help?”
    â€œCan you crack eggs?”
    â€œI scramble myself three eggs every morning,” he said.
    Because he was an orphan and cooked for himself. The thought of Josiah all alone in that big house made Rose a little sad.
    â€œHey,” he said, leaning over to catch her eye. “Did I say something to upset you?”
    She gave him a flicker of a smile. “Of course not.” Could he truly read every subtlety in her face like that? “I was just thinking that you probably keep a lot of chickens busy.”
    â€œThey do not like to see me coming.”
    Josiah scrambled eggs and tried to keep the boys from tearing down the house while Rose made her favorite whole-wheat pancake batter and set the table. The pancake batter sizzled on the griddle while Josiah swooped both boys into their booster seats and put bibs on them. They said silent grace, and then Josiah served each of the boys a pancake with syrup and cut the pancakes into bite-sized pieces.
    Rose finished flipping pancakes and sat down to eat with Alvin on one side and Aaron on the other. Aaron ate three pancakes and polished off a good portion of the eggs. Alvin couldn’t stop talking about his pet snake that his mamm made him keep in the backyard and how it ate mice and rabbits. Josiah listened with patience to Alvin’s stories, and Rose did her best to understand what Aaron said. Aaron was just learning to talk, and sometimes Alvin had to interpret for him.
    â€œThese aren’t just pancakes,” Josiah said. “These would make an Amish mammi cry, they’re so gute .”
    Rose tried not to notice the darkening sky outside the kitchen window. It would be okay. Surely she would make it home this one time, and then she’d never have to go out in the dark again.
    Aaron was more syrup than boy by the time he finished. Rose gave him a kiss on the top of his head. “Do you think Suvie would mind if I gave them a bath?”
    â€œYou’ve done so much, Rose. How could I even ask?”
    She forced another reassuring smile. The boys needed her. “If you’ll carry them up, I’ll wash them.”
    Josiah grabbed a boy in each arm and practically flew up the stairs. He deposited them in the bathroom. “I’ll do the dishes.”
    Alvin looked a little concerned about being left with a strange girl in the bathroom. “But Onkel Josiah,” he said. His lip quivered slightly.
    Josiah squatted next to Alvin and helped him take off his shirt. “When you have taken a bath, I will come and read you a story.”
    â€œWill you read the one about the wolf?”
    â€œ Jah. Take a bath first.”
    Rose filled the tub and washed the boys while she heard dishes and pans clattering in the kitchen. How many young men would babysit and do the dishes?
    Rose helped Aaron out of the tub first and cuddled him in his fluffy towel. She dried his hair and put on his diaper. After draining the tub, she lifted Alvin into a towel, giving him a warm hug. He wiggled his arms out of his towel and hugged her back. “I love you,” he said and planted a